A man of vision
Following poor decisions by Colonel Despard as leader of the colonial troops at , the mainly young working-class colonial troops who died were buried without ceremony.
When St Michael’s church was consecrated in 1872, our Heta Te Haara sought Government permission to reinter them in the , alongside our Ngati Rangi deceased.
Heta was a man of considerable foresight. By placing a church on the pā site, was he protecting our whenua and our history?
In negotiations with Government to have a 'native school' built here in 1872, Heta Te Haara ensured the building would remain ours in perpetuity, as a living hub for our . It stands today in the Heta Te Haara Reserve, in his honour.